The death toll of the devastating fire at Wang Fuk Court in Tai Po has risen to 156, with 29 bodies awaiting identification and about 30 individuals remain unaccounted for.
Police have announced that the residents of Wang Chi House -- the only building that was not directly affected by the deadly fire -- will be permitted a one-time return to their homes to retrieve personal belongings or valuables between Wednesday (Dec 3) and Thursday (Dec 4).
Each unit will be allowed a maximum of two individuals to enter their homes for up to 90 minutes between 9am and 9pm. During the time, they will be accompanied by personnel from the authorities, who will provide assistance as needed to ensure the process runs smoothly.
Meanwhile, police have arrested 15 people on suspicion of manslaughter in connection with the five-alarm fire at Wang Fuk Court.
The 15 suspects—14 men and one woman aged 40 to 77—are respectively from the main repair contracting company, a consultancy firm, and subcontracted scaffolding and exterior wall repair companies.
Police said they have completed evidence-gathering in six buildings and will move into the remaining two after the Disaster Victim Identification unit completes its work. Exterior areas will also be searched once the building searches and evidence collection had finished.
They noted that collapsed scaffolding and bamboo poles may be covering important evidence or even bodies, and specialists will subsequently be deployed to remove the scaffold netting.
